Food Technology and Nutrition

2. Food Technology and Nutrition (FTN Unit)

Cambodian Context 

Although Cambodia is still mainly a rural country with 58% of the population being farmers, the processing of agricultural products is generally family-based or within informal industrial structures, with a low added value and a low level of technology, thus limiting their ability to compete in international markets. Only 10% of the industrial workers are in the food-beverage sector, a great majority (97%) of them working in micro-enterprises with no foreign investment. Besides the need of training technicians and engineers with a focus on agricultural products transformation and quality control, research centres with high level faculty staff are needed to do research on food processes, develop original and innovative products adapted to Cambodian tastes and habits (dry or fermented products), and assist the growing industrial sector in the quality and safety assessment of the food chain.

The Research Unit

The research unit Food Technology and Nutrition is established to enhance the development of the food and beverage industry in Cambodia through cost-effective collaborative research and innovation programs between a diverse range of economic partners and the researchers of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. The Research Unit promotes technical platforms and research projects to support the sectors of food and feed processing, food storage and preservation, innovative products from agriculture and forestry – including non-food applications and nutrition products -, food quality control. Other aspects as product design, cost-effectiveness, waste and by-products minimization, energy consumption reduction or valorisation of Cambodian biodiversity are also studied in the Research Unit. To be a reliable center for research, training and consultancy services in food processing improvement, food fermentation, food product development and innovation, value addition of agricultural products, food nutrition, food safety, food quality analyses and food preservation in order to sustain the development of Cambodia.

Vision

To be an excellent unit for research, innovation, training and consultancy services in the field of food science and technology for sustainable development of Cambodia. 

Mission

• To strengthen the researchers’ capacity in food related fields to be nationally and regionally recognized

• To create standardized laboratories for research and hall technology for pilot scale

• To boost the research activities through local and international collaborations (Universities, Government, SMEs, NGOs)

• To promote technology transfer and to provide training and consultancy services to food industries and relevant stakeholders

• To increase national and international publications

• To host scientific events

Research Theme

• Food technology development in the Cambodian context (Solid-state and submerged fermentation, drying, …)

• Food product development and innovation

• Food quality and safety 

• Nutritional, aromatic and antimicrobial properties of Cambodian biodiversity

• Sustainability issues of Cambodian food technology: minimization of waste and by-products, chemicals-free preservation, low energy consumption

• Volatile compounds analysis in wines and essential oils

• Pesticide and heavy metal analysis

Projects and Research topics

Table: Research topics in FTN unit for the academic year 2018-2019

 

No.	Project/Research Topic	Fund
1	SATREPS Project on Establishment of Environmental Conservation Platform of Tonle Sap Lake: Pathogens and Phytoplankton	JICA/JST
2	Elucidation and prediction of urban flooding and its health impact in Asean tropical cities	JSPS
3	Development of Fermentation Process of Cambodian Soy Sauce	Government of Cambodia
4	MSc Course in Food processing and Innovation (FOODI project)	Erasus+KA2
5	Ecological Intensification and Soil Ecosystem Services (EISOFUN)	Cambodia Climate Change Alliance (CCCA)
6	Business Incubation for Food Product Development (Bi4FPD)	ASEAN-JAIF
7	Sustainable rice production within an agro-ecology framework	Agronym: HEALTHYRICE
8	Improvement high – value food product in Cambodia: Drying herbal and Spices	Government of Cambodia
9	Biogenic amines in smoked fishes	ARES-CCD
10	Demonstration of essential oils and vegetable oils from Cambodian biodiversity and valorizable in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, nutraceutical and agri-food sectors	SEP2D
11	Improvement of quality of typical fermented products from meat and fish in Cambodia	Government of Cambodia
12	Physicochemical analysis and characterization of food products	Government of Cambodia
13	Lab scale to semi-pilot scale of sugarcane wine production	ITC
14	Food Contaminant Analysis for Better Food Quality in Cambodia	Government of Cambodia
15	Biotechnology for Integrated Pest Management Towards	Government of Cambodia
16	Microbiological analysis of fermented fish product (Pa Ork) in Cambodia	Government of Cambodia
17	Microbiological analysis of fermented fish product (Pa Ork) in Cambodia	Government of Cambodia
18	Exploitation of the biodiversity of fermented products of Southeast Asia to develop new fermented vegetable products adapted to Western demands	ITC and BGF
19	Ecological Intensification and Soil Ecosystem Services (EISOFUN)	Cambodia Climate Change Alliance (CCCA)
20	Impact of drying on nutritional values of Kampot pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in Cambodia	CCCI-PED
21	Impact of density on sensory and nutritional quality of mango fruit	ITC and BGF
22	Valorization of red seaweed Gracilaria gracilis: extraction of hydrosoluble components (pigment, protein and sugar) for AgroIndustry application	ITC and BGF

Researchers

Dr. CHUNHIENG Thavarith, Ph.D in Food and Biotechnology Engineering, INPL, France

Food Technology

Dr. IN Sokneang, Ph.D in Science and Processes of Food and Bio-products, AgroParisTech, Paris, France

Food Safety and Risk Assessment, Nutrition, Food Processing

Dr. MITH Hasika, Ph.D in Food Science, Université de Liège, Belgium.

Plant’s Essential Oils/Extracts, Antimicrobials, Antioxidants, Food Microbiology, Food Preservation and Processing, Agro-Food Industry Management

Dr. PHAT Chanvorleak, Ph.D in Food Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, South Korea

Food Analysis, Food chemistry, Food Safety, Mycotoxins

Dr. SOUNG Malyna, Ph.D in Bioengineering, University de Montpellier II, France

Plant Biodiversity, Microbiology, Genetic Engineering

Dr. TAN Reasmey, Ph.D in Bioengineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

Food Biotechnology (Vegetable and cereal fermentation), Food Product Development and Innovation, Food and Water Microbiology, Anaerobic Digestion

Dr. TRY Sophal, Ph.D in Agrofood Biotechnology, AgroSup-Dijon/UBFC, France

Food Biotechnology, Food Chemistry, Fermentation (SSF and SmF), Kinetics Modelling

Dr. YOEUN Sereyvath, Ph.D in Science, Chonnam National University, South Korea

Biotechnology, Organic Compounds Analysis (Pesticides and others)

Ms. HOR Sivmey, Ph.D candidate in Biochemical and Physicochemical of Food, SupAgro Montpellier, France

Post-harvest Quality, Transformation of Tropical Fruits

Ms. LORN Da, Ph.D candidate in Agrofood Biotechnology, AgroSup-Dijon/UBFC, France

Aroma Extraction, Lactic Acid Fermentation, Food Enzymes

Ms. LY Sokny, Ph.D candidate in Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Liege, Belgium

Food Science and Technology, Food Microbiology, Probiotic, Food Biotechnology

Ms. MORM Elen, Ph.D candidate in Chemical Engineering (Transfer, Interfaces and Processing), Free University of Brussels, Belgium

Drying of Agricultural Crops and Herbal, Bioethanol

Ms. SROY Sengly, Ph.D candidate in Nutrition and Food Science, Montpellier SupAgro University, France

Food Nutrition, Food Processing and Food Development

Ms. YIN Molika, Ph.D candidate in Agro-food Industry, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Cambodia

Food Product Development and Sensory Evaluation

Mr. NGET Sovannmony, Master in Chemical Engineering, University of Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Polymer, biomaterial, Water pollution, Chemical contamination in food, Nutrient analysis in food

Ms. SAY Sreypich, Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, De La Salle University, Philippines

Water pollution, Chemical Contamination in Food, Nutrient Analysis in Food, Improvement of Food Quality and Biochemical Processes

Academic and Research Partners

Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan 

Yamagata University, Japan

Université de Liège, Belgium

Université de Bruxelles, Belgium

SupAgro-Montpellier, France

AgroSup-Dijon, France

Polytech Lille, France

Institut National Polytechnique deToulose (INP Toulouse), France

French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), France

Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), France

Aix-Marseille Université, France

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France

Kasetsart University, Thailand

Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Vietnam

Chung-Ang University, South Korea 

Chonnam National University, South Korea

Non-academic partners

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Cambodia

Ministry of Industry and Handicraft, Cambodia

Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia

National Productivity Centre of Cambodia (NPCC), Cambodia 

Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

Tonle Sap Authority, Cambodia

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia

Ministry of Rural Development, Cambodia

Industrial Partners and NGOs

LyLy Company Co. Ltd

Cambodia Brewery Limited

Baca-Villa Productions Co Ltd

Cambodia Beverages Company

KBS Food Enterprise

Selected publications of ITC researchers since 2010